Summary
Attributed Branded Searches is the metric to use. It reports in the standard Google Ads columns for video campaigns and counts brand searches on Google and YouTube that followed ad exposure. Brand Lift and Search Lift both require a study with a control group, so they cannot serve as an always-on measure.
Nitin Batra is a Google Video Ads certified professional who plans and measures YouTube campaigns, including brand search attribution and Brand Lift study setup, for performance advertisers.
Last updated: August 23, 2026
To show YouTube’s impact on search behaviour as an always-on metric with no experiment setup or vendor approval, use Attributed Branded Searches, available directly in the Google Ads reporting columns for video campaigns.
- Search Lift
- Attributed Branded Searches
- GRP reporting
- Brand Lift
The correct answer is: Attributed Branded Searches
Key Takeaways
- – Attributed Branded Searches is the always-on metric that shows YouTube’s impact on brand search without any experiment setup.
- – You enable it from the column picker in Google Ads under the Brand section, and it updates with your standard campaign reporting.
- – It attributes searches on Google and YouTube for your brand terms back to people who saw or interacted with your video ads.
- – Brand Lift and Search Lift studies need a control group, a minimum budget and a study window, so they cannot run continuously the way this metric can.
How is Attributed Branded Searches different from Search Lift?
Search Lift is a study. It holds back a control group, compares branded search activity between exposed and unexposed users, and reports a lift figure once enough data is collected. Attributed Branded Searches is a straight count of branded searches attributed to ad exposure, available as a column all the time with no study, no control group and no minimum spend.
Where do I turn on Attributed Branded Searches in Google Ads?
Go to the Campaigns view, filter to your video campaigns, then click the columns icon and choose Modify columns. Look under the Brand or Brand and search metrics group and tick Attributed Branded Searches. Save the column set so it stays on your video reporting view and you can trend it week on week.
Does a branded search count as a conversion?
No. A branded search is an intent signal, not a conversion. It tells you the video pushed someone to go looking for you by name, which usually shows up later as organic or brand-term paid traffic. Keep it as a supporting metric next to conversions rather than trying to bid or optimise directly against it.
What is the main limitation of using Attributed Branded Searches?
It is an attributed count, not a causal lift figure, so it does not prove the search would not have happened anyway. Volume also scales with how much you spend, so a rising number can simply mean more impressions. When you need a defensible incremental number for a client or a leadership review, run a Search Lift study on top of the always-on metric.